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Authored By: Nicholai Jost-Epp

Meet Nicholai, CEP Clean Energy Outreach Intern

Your voice will shape a just transition in Kansas

How so? Weighing in on Evergy’s Kansas Energy Efficiency Investment Act could shift the power dynamics from special interests to everyday Kansans who have been left out of the energy planning process.

Eight months ago, Evergy, the electric utility company for ⅔ of Kansans, filed their demand-side management (DSM) portfolio with the Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC), the regulatory body that oversees utility companies in Kansas. The plan details Evergy’s proposals to offer energy efficiency programs to their customers, which have the potential to bring a whole host of health, economic, and environmental benefits to Kansas communities.

While this proposal is a crucial step for Kansas towards programs that utility customers in many other states have long enjoyed, Evergy’s proposal fails to center low- to moderate-income customers who have the highest energy burden and therefore stand to benefit the most from energy efficiency investments.

The Climate + Energy Project (CEP) has worked with members of the heavily disinvested 67214 zip code in Wichita to develop the People’s Energy Plan, a host of programs we hope the KCC will include in the final DSM proposal to promote energy equity in Kansas: a robust, fully-funded Pay As You Save® program, utility shut off prevention programs, community ownership and data transparency programs, and partnerships with local minority trade allies.

This summer, I am working as a Clean Energy Outreach intern for CEP. I’ve long been interested in clean energy and energy efficiency and their countless benefits– not just for the environment, but for job creation, lowering energy bills, and improving air quality. As a 6th generation Kansan, I support the People’s Energy Plan campaign because Kansas needs a booming clean energy economy. Energy efficiency has the potential to create family-sustaining jobs for our communities, and Evergy should ensure our communities receive the full benefit of these jobs by partnering with locally-endorsed businesses and minority trade allies.

I also support the campaign because 1 in 3 Americans struggle to pay their energy bills, and a quarter reduce or forgo food or medicine to pay for energy costs. Energy efficiency is essential in reducing energy burden, the percentage of household income spent on energy bills, and preventing utility shutoffs. Instead of disconnecting customers who fail to pay bills, which can have dramatic human costs, we need a shutoff prevention program that streamlines residents with high energy burden to energy efficiency programs and removes the cost barriers. We also need a robust, fully-funded Pay As You Save® (PAYS) program, which is a cornerstone of equitable energy efficiency policy– essential for making energy efficiency investments accessible to low- and moderate-income households as well as tenants.

Lastly, I support the campaign because I believe that affected communities should have a seat at the table. Procedural justice requires community involvement at every step of the process– involvement in determining where energy efficiency investments are made, promoting and administering programs, and implementing energy efficiency upgrades through partnerships with local trade allies. Communities should be treated as full and equal partners, not subjects who have to take the cards Evergy deals to them. In order for this procedural justice to be realized, we need data transparency and information sharing from Evergy about their energy efficiency investments.

Time is running out to make your voice heard for equitable energy policies. Many Kansans, including myself, have already testified at a public hearing held by the KCC last Monday, June 27. Over 15 people spoke out urging the KCC to include more accessible, equitable energy efficiency programs. If you missed the hearing, you can watch a recording here. 

Now, we need to drive the message home to the KCC by submitting a written public comment before Friday, July 8. You can find all submission instructions and read sample comments written by other Kansans here.

Let’s show the KCC that we want Kansas to be a leader in energy efficiency, not a laggard.

The following links include information on Evergy’s KEEIA Docket:

CEP KEEIA Toolkit

Kansas Energy Efficiency Investment Act (KEEIA)

People’s Energy Plan